It Doesn't Bother Me
by Hallmark Girl
Summary: This whole “hero getting the girl” thing? It’s practically set in stone.


This is how it's supposed to be. It's written in the stars. It's the fairy tale ending to every epic love story. Destiny wouldn't have it any other way.

The hero always gets the girl.

Notice how it's not "sometimes". It's not "often". Not "just when the gods feel like it." No, it's always. As in, without fail. It's like an unwritten rule… the guidelines for any classic romance. Anyone would be crazy to try and contradict fate's ultimate plan. This whole "hero getting the girl" thing? It's practically set in stone. Like they always say, there are three certain things in life… death, taxes, and the hero always getting the girl.

It doesn't bother me. I guess maybe should bother me, but it doesn't. After all, he's a hero, and she's a heroine, and they're soul mates. It's meant to be. It always has been, ever since day one, and I'm perfectly content with that. I mean it, I am. True, sometimes I might feel excluded from their perfect little world, but I would never want to put an end to their happiness. That would be selfish, and juvenile, and besides, I'm happy for them. They really, truly belong together. Of course, at first I was worried that they'd alienate me, and that maybe they wouldn't want me around any more once they were together. But if I'm honest with myself, I know better than that. The three of us are best friends, and always will be best friends, no matter what. Nothing could come between us; not the Dark Lord, not escaped prisoners, not evil teachers or crazed house elves, and certainly not their relationship. After all, she's always loved both of us. Just… not in the same way.

I've known it would end like this ever since the three of us first became friends. I think that's part of why it doesn't upset me; because I've known it all along, accepted it, and moved on. I've been prepared for it for quite some time now. They deserve each other, they really do. They make each other laugh, and they make each other smile, and you can tell by the way he looks at her that he's going to make her very happy. I've never seen two people so right for each other.

Plus, you know, there's that whole "hero and heroine" thing.

They're made for each other. There's just no arguing with that. One look at them and you can tell they're in love. It's painfully obvious to even the densest witch or wizard. Hell, even the house elves can tell. And that's definitely saying something.

He really is deserving of his hero title. Sure, he's done a lot of great things to prove he's worthy, but what it all boils down to is that he's risked his life for his two best friends, and would do it again in a heartbeat. He put himself on the line for me. And for her, of course. Always for her. There has never been any question of his loyalty to us. He's shown that he's willing to die for us, just as we would for him. I think that's one of the reasons she fell for him, actually. It was in first year. We were only eleven, so very young, and yet there was always a glimmer of admiration in her eyes. He was truly heroic then, just he continues to be now.

And she is most certainly deserving of her heroine title. She's the most brilliant witch Hogwarts has even seen, I'm sure of it. The girl is truly a genius. There isn't a single spell she can't master in a just a few short minutes, and she can quote any and every schoolbook in its entirety. It's amazing. And she's brave. She's very, very brave. A lot of people see her as just "the bookworm", but she's so much more just that. She's caring, and compassionate, and she's the best friend anyone could ever ask for. I don't know where either of us would be without Hermione. She's done so much for us.

So it's obvious that they are the perfect match. Together, plus me, we are the beloved trio… the trio that everyone suspected was more like a love triangle than anything else. Ever since they got together, people have been giving me sympathetic looks. Maybe they thought she would choose me. Maybe they thought there was some sort of decision to make, as if there was some twisted web of emotions amongst Gryffindor's finest. But you see, with Hermione, there was no choice. It was never "Oh, Harry or Ron, which one shall I pick?" She knew all along. She knew he was the one for her, and she never questioned her decision. I never questioned it either, much to the surprise of others. They thought I'd be jealous, or angry, or upset when I found out. I guess I have a tendency to...er, lose my temper rather easily. And apparently, they all thought I was in love with her. But I'm not. I mean, at first I figured my love for her would grow into something beyond friendship. She is, after all, a girl. And I'm a boy. And we're friends. And a lot of people say that it's impossible for a guy and a girl to be "just friends" without some sort of sexual tension developing. But now, six years later, after seeing her evolve from a young girl into a beautiful woman, I still love her like a sister. And nothing more.

I'll always be protective of her, of course. If I ever find that he's treating her like anything less than the goddess she is, I'll curse him into oblivion. But that will never happen, and I know it. He loves her more than anything in the world, including Quidditch. And she loves him more than getting perfect marks on all of her homework. That's true love if I ever saw it.

---

Harry sat quietly on the bench outside of Honeyduke's, watching his two best friends make their way through the crowded street toward him. Ron's arm was around Hermione's shoulders, and her arm was around his waist. They were both laughing and grinning at each other, as they so often did nowadays. When they weren't arguing, of course. Ron suddenly bent down and scooped up a handful of snow, which he then proceeded to sprinkle in Hermione's hair. "Ron!" Harry heard her shriek, and she swatted at him playfully.

"_Yes_," Harry thought with a smile, remembering that time in first year when Ron sacrificed himself on the chessboard, not to mention all the times he'd stood up for he and Hermione. "_The hero always gets the girl_."

-end-


End file.
